Letter from the Editor

He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter.  – John Burroughs

Here we are at Winter Solstice, the day the “sun stands still.” We are grateful that you have taken this time in your busy life to join us in wonder and with admiration for the stories from our winter writers.

In Midwinter, whether in season or spirit, we cozy up with new or well-loved books as we wait for the light of spring. To American naturalist and essayist John Burroughs, winter is not something to overcome; it is something to seek out wholeheartedly. Of this winter he writes, “It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it.”

Citron’s winter issue is crisp with changes in the air. We welcome JR Walsh (Online Editor/Fiction Editor), Nathan Elliott (Creative Nonfiction Editor), Marcena Hooks (Fiction Editor), and Anna Kelly (Social Media Coordinator) to our team. It’s also the last issue for our dear friend, Zach Jacobs (Creative Nonfiction Editor). We will miss him. You can read more about these wonderful writers and editors here.

As this year ends, we are changing how we do the work we love. We’ve made changes to the website, increased our social media presence, and we have started planning our 10th anniversary celebration. Creative Nonfiction is now reading submissions year-round; Fiction and Poetry open in February. Look for more news in January as we celebrate all things citrus-y and good about the last ten years with you.

This magical time of year was also beloved by American artist Andrew Wyeth who said, “I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape. Something waits beneath it; the whole story doesn’t show.”

May this season bring light to your untold stories. On behalf of The Citron Review, I wish you and yours a continued sense of wonder in the new year.

Warmest winter wishes,
Angela M. Brommel
Editor-in-Chief
The Citron Review

IMAGE CREDIT: Nathan Elliott, Montréal Ice, 2018

Table of Contents

Poetry

Notes on the selections by Eric Steineger

Creative Nonfiction

Notes on the selections by Marianne Woods Cirone

Fiction

Notes on the selections by Elizabeth De Arcos

Flash Fiction

Micro Fiction

2018 Nominations

Notes on the nominations by JR Walsh